


Dearest to me

by Anonymous



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: (sort of), Adoption, Babysitting, Canon Era, Companion Piece, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Growing Up, M/M, Responsibility, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-24 14:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14956652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Spot and Race stumble across two very different things, only to have the same outcome in the end





	1. Chapter 1

It began with a small meow tucked away in the crates down by the pier. 

Spot thought to pass by, that his ears were just fooling him, but the sound happened again. It was even more pitiful than before and he pushed boxes aside until he found the source. 

A small kitten, soot black with pale blue eyes stared up at him. 

Its limbs shook and Spot swallowed as he mulled over the choices before him. He could hardly keep himself alive, yet in this little creature was a reflection of himself staring back.

With a sigh, Spot hung his head before reaching out to the kitten, taking it gingerly in his hands. Immediately, the kitten curled into Spot’s touch and he pursed his lips, his mind racing over how the hell he was going to take care of it. 

Holding the kitten close to his body, Spot headed back to the lodging house and hid away in his room once there. He set the kitten down on the bed, watching as it curled into the blanket before he ran a finger down its back. 

“Gotta pick out a name for you,” Spot whispered before he dug through his pockets, counting his coins. 

It wasn’t much, but it would do and Spot headed back to the streets in search for something that would feed the both of them for the night.

~

Not even a week had passed before Spot was used to the kitten.

It curled near his head as he slept and when he could, he brought it out for his newsies to play with. He kept a wary eye however, snatching the kitten back before anyone could get too rough with it. Soon enough, a pattern developed entirely around this kitten and Spot found himself spending more time with it than his newsies. 

A small comfort in his life, Spot looked forward to the evenings where he could just be in his room with the kitten, cradling it in his hands, and talking about his day. 

“So, am I going to meet this famous friend of yours?”

Dragged from his thoughts, Spot turned away from the water to give Race a blank look. “Hm?”

“This kitten you have. When do I get to meet her?”

Spot held himself back from rolling his eyes, wondering who let slip about the kitten. “I don’t know if the kitten’s a she.”

“Well, what’s the name?”

Jumping from his perch, Spot began the walk back to the lodging house, Race trailing close behind. “Don’t have one picked out yet.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Spot could see Race perk up, his cigar hanging from his mouth by a thin sliver. “Do I get the honors?”

“Why not,” Spot shrugged in attempt to hold back his grin. 

He never knew he’d be so amused by Race’s simple joy, yet here he was. The kitten was making him soft.

The trek up to his room was quiet but when Spot opened his door, the kitten running to meet him, Race let out an audible gasp. He bent down immediately to scoop up the kitten, gushing over it in a way that almost made Spot jealous.

“Jennie,” Race said with finality and Spot blinked at him. “That’s her name. You’re welcome.”

Spot’s eyebrows furrowed, his mouth testing the name. “Jennie-Ennie,” he couldn’t help saying.

Race laughed, holding the kitten close as he pressed into Spot’s side. “See? Perfect.”

A small smile finally worked its way onto Spot’s face and he buried himself into Race’s neck to hide his blush. “All right, fine.”

The kitten squeaked then and Race let out his own high-pitched response, leaving Spot to merely raise his eyebrows. Lifting his head from Race’s shoulder, he reached out to the kitten, taking her from Race’s reluctant hands.

“You can come see her whenever you know,” Spot answered to Race’s slight pout and he couldn’t help placing a kiss on those lips. 

“What, she like our child now or something?” Race teased, leaning back in for more of Spot’s affection. 

“Sure.”

The two met in a firmer kiss, Spot’s knees weakening as Race’s hands trailed up his arms. It wasn’t until his fingers were tugged at that Spot realized what Race was playing at and he frowned as he broke the kiss. 

“I’m not going to get any more attention from you today, am I?” Spot sighed as Jennie the Kitten was taken from his hands. 

“Nope,” Race grinned, then making himself at home on Spot’s bed to play with Jennie. 

Shaking his head with a small laugh, Spot sat next to Race as the kitten began to scurry on and around them. A few more embraces were shared, but Jennie the Kitten was quick to interrupt. Spot didn’t mind terribly however because Race’s laughs ringing loud in his ears meant more to him than he could ever say on this cool autumn evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spot Conlon is my favorite Disney Princess
> 
> [Tumblrn'](http://safarikalamari.tumblr.com)


	2. Chapter 2

A small, muffled cry stopped Race in his tracks. 

Maybe an animal, maybe something else, Race wasn’t sure but when he heard the noise again, he edged into the alley.

Garbage was strewn about, his steps hesitant as he tried to find the source of the crying. Now, he was sure this wasn’t anything but human and he paused near a tattered suitcase. Lifting a piece of crumpled newspaper, Race’s breath caught in his throat when a small bundle looked up, deep brown eyes locking onto him. 

Race frowned, a small anger growing within. How someone could abandon a baby like this was beyond him, not even giving them the dignity of being placed in an orphanage. Reaching for the wrapped blankets, Race picked the baby up, noting how their cries had settled down. The baby stared at him through watery eyes and Race sighed. 

There was no way he could take care of this baby, but he couldn’t leave them. Not with the way they looked at him as if he was their last hope.

Tucking the baby close to his body, Race headed back into the familiar streets until his feet led him back to the lodging house. With the day still young, not many newsies would be back yet, allowing Race some time to talk this through with Kloppman. 

The instant he stepped inside the lodging house, Race froze before the old man, swallowing as Kloppman’s stare shifted between Race and the baby. The baby was starting to fuss again, leaving Race to plead with his eyes, his words refusing to come forth. Waving Race back behind the counter, Kloppman led him to a back room that Race had seen just once before, in a bought of sickness. 

Kloppman held out his hands and Race reluctantly handed the baby over, already missing the feeling of them in his arms. With a sigh, Kloppman began digging through several cabinets before setting the baby down on the large table in the center, wrapping and unwrapping their worn blanket. Race took a seat by the doorway, watching Kloppman, yet unable to make out what he was doing. Kloppman mumbled to himself some more, leaving the room then and Race kept his eye on the baby wiggling around on the table. 

As quickly as he had gone, Kloppman returned, a glass bottle full of milk in his hand. With ardent interest, Race joined his side as Kloppman picked up the baby, bringing the bottle to their mouth. 

“A girl,” were the first words out of Kloppman’s mouth and Race looked at the baby again. 

She stared back, her dark curls bouncing with Kloppman’s pacing as she drank from the bottle. The bottle was finished in no time and Kloppman nodded at Race. 

Taking her in his arms, Race couldn’t help smile as she curled into him, his other worries forgotten for a moment. A clattering pulled Race back to the present and he saw Kloppman with a crib in his hands, motioning with his head for Race to follow. 

“Used it for all my children, kept it away for...well, something like this,” Kloppman explained as he climbed the stairs.

Race nodded even though Kloppman wouldn’t be able to see it, trailing behind as the crib was set next to his bunk. 

“Think the other fellas will mind much?” Race commented as he sat down on the bed. 

Kloppman shrugged, a small shake of his head, before he left Race alone in the room to sift through his thoughts. 

Reluctant to set the baby down, Race took a breath as he let his fingers trail down her hair and face. He had plenty of responsibilities before, but this was different. He wasn’t sure if he could handle this all by himself.

Pounding on the wooden floorboards made his head whip up and Race pursed his lips as Boots ran into the bunk room. The boy skidded to a stop, his eyes going wide. 

“She yours?” Boots asked right away and Race looked down. 

“Suppose. Found her in an alley,” Race explained as Boots slowly approached him. 

Sitting down next to Race, Boots stared at the baby, the corner of his mouth turning up. “She looks like me. Maybe a long lost sister?”

Race grinned at this, shifting the baby in his arms. “Happy reunion then. You wanna hold her?”

Boots’ eyes flickered to Race’s face as his shoulders tensed up. “I don’t know how.”

“I’ll help you,” Race reassured, using one hand to position Boots’ arms. 

Gently guiding the baby to Boots’ arms, Race murmured reassurances until Boots was confident enough without Race’s touch. 

“Will she be able to handle all of us?” Boots smiled, glancing at Race. 

As if on cue, more steps thundered into the room, Boots and Race watching the door. Newsie after newsie poured in, most in deep conversation that trailed off as soon as they saw Boots, Race, and the baby. 

“Oh,” Jack spoke for everyone and Race raised his eyebrows as the Manhattan newsies simply stared. 

“Won’t make you take care of her,” Race shook his head. “But you can hold her if you want.”

The newsies shuffled their way over, gently shoving here and there to get a good look at the baby in Boots’ arms. 

“We’ll take turns,” Blink spoke up, meeting Race’s eyes. “We’s a family, ain’t we?”

Others chimed in and it was Crutchie who claimed to holding the baby next as he squeezed onto Race’s bed. 

Race’s heart was leaping in his chest and all he could do was grin at his friends as they bubbled with excitement over the new guest.

~

With Kloppman’s help, Race headed into the streets of Manhattan the next day, the baby wrapped tightly to his chest. 

He couldn’t bear to leave her alone and after packing a bag with all he needed, Race went with the other newsies to get his papers. Whether it was the baby or his cheerful attitude, Race sold papers faster than ever, leaving him with an afternoon still ahead. 

Grinning to himself, Race headed across the bridge, speaking to the baby as we walked. 

“Should probably cut back on Sheepshead, shouldn’t I?” Race looked down at her and her mouth quirked up just a little. Laughing, Race kissed the top of her head. “Smart head you got.”

By the time he had reached a familiar set of buildings, the baby had started to squirm and Race searched for an easy place to stop. 

“Whose kid is that?”

Spinning around, Race beamed at the sound of the voice and shrugged. “Mine.”

Spot rolled his eyes, pushing off the wall. “Okay.”

“Honest,” Race teased, rooting around in his bag for a bottle. “Found her all on my own.”

With a small hum, Spot eyed the baby before turning on his heel and walking away. Trailing after him, Race couldn’t keep his grin down, almost bumping into him when Spot paused in front of the Brooklyn lodging house. 

“Wanna hold her?” Race couldn’t help ask, the question becoming second nature overnight. 

Spot’s nod was small, but eager, and Race waited until Spot sat down on the front steps. Untying the cloths from his body, Race handed the baby over to Spot, breathing out when Spot held the baby close. 

“Here...here’s her bottle,” Race dug out a small bottle of milk. 

Spot took the offering, his movements natural as he fed the baby. “What’s her name?”

Race blinked. “Oh, uh…” 

With all the excitement, the detail had slipped Race’s mind and he shook his head. “Dunno.”

Spot mumbled something Race didn’t quite catch. He nudged Spot as he sat down, hoping Spot would repeat it. 

“Bellamy,” Spot stated, finally looking up from the baby and meeting Race’s eyes. 

Race didn’t fight the smile that grew on his face, his heart beating wildly when Spot blushed. 

“You just spit that out,” Race teased, shuffling closer until his and Spot’s sides were touching. “You want kids someday, Spot?”

“I got one right now, don’t I?” Spot grumbled in response. 

With a quiet laugh, Race rested his head on Spot’s shoulder, taking another look at the baby, now Bellamy, as she started to drift off. 

“Yeah, we do.”

Feeling Spot’s shoulder tense up, Race shifted his head until his chin was propped up, grinning at the bright red gracing Spot’s cheeks. 

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” Spot mumbled, but Race didn’t miss the small smile as Spot turned his face to look at him. 

For a moment, the two shared a silent conversation, distant promises and small tokens of affection hovering in what little space was left between them. 

“I gotta…” Spot broke away first, clearing his throat. “...gotta finish selling the rest of my papes. You coming?”

Race hadn’t noticed the papers sitting behind them and nodded, taking Bellamy and the bottle from Spot. With Spot’s help, the three were soon on their way and just like in Manhattan, Spot’s bundle was sold before Race could even count a hundred steps in his head. 

“She’s our good luck charm,” Spot grinned, leading them in the direction of Sheepshead. 

Race smiled at Spot, their hands brushing together as they moved to walk alongside each other, Spot checking on Race and Bellamy with stray glances. 

“Told her I’d be cutting back,” Race commented as he checked over his bets, Spot bringing them to a less crowded part of the races. 

“Well, if she keeps our sales up, you might not have to.”

Race blushed when Spot winked, their fingers lacing together for a second before they took to just standing as close as they could.

The bets turned in Race’s favor and with some spare cash, Race figured it was time to head back. 

“Let me walk you,” Spot charged on ahead, not giving Race a chance to protest otherwise. 

“It’ll be dark when you go back to Brooklyn,” Race frowned. “Stay in Manhattan then, if you insist on walking us.”

Race shifted under Spot’s heated stare, but Spot said nothing beyond the wave of his hand. Taking that as his acceptance, Race pressed up to Spot, blowing onto his neck in an attempt to tease him. 

“Stop it,” Spot jumped away. “That tickles.”

Doing as he was told, Race edged away, grinning to himself when Spot’s mouth struggled to stay in a thin line. 

The walk across the bridge was quiet and by the time they arrived back in familiar grounds, Bellamy had begun to stir. With a nod to Kloppman, Race headed to where he could take care of the baby properly, a proud smile on his face when he returned to Spot standing at the bottom of the stairs. 

“Ready?”

Spot shrugged and they headed up, the rowdiness of the other newsies reaching their ears. 

“Hey, it’s Spot!” Mush announced when they entered the room and everyone quieted down as Spot followed Race to the bed. 

“It ain’t the governor,” Spot scowled, sitting on Race’s bed. “Stop gawking.”

It was Jack who waved the newsies away and the bustle began again, Spot receiving only a few odd stares. With settling Bellamy in her crib, Race didn’t notice Spot’s tension until Boots came over to the two of them. 

“She got a name yet, Race?” Boots asked and Race laughed, motioning to Spot. 

Spot stiffened, but upon seeing Boots’ eager face, he seemed to relax just a little. “Bellamy.”

Race could listen to Spot say her name over and over, the way Spot wove warmth and trust into the pronunciation. 

“I like it,” Boots grinned, kneeling by the crib. “Night, sis. Er...Bellamy.”

Each of the newsies took their turn saying goodnight to the baby, each passing on the name so Spot wouldn’t have to repeat himself dozens of times. By the time everyone had settled into bed, the moon was high and bright in the sky, almost illuminating the bunk room. 

Race and Spot laid on their sides, their hands tangling together under the blanket as they stared at each other’s faces. 

“Guess it’s you and me forever now, huh?” Race teased quietly, his mind drifting away to life after the lodging house, when they would be old enough to properly raise Bellamy. 

“Course,” Spot spoke under his breath. “But I think the fellas will put up a fight when we get a place of our own.”

Race couldn’t help his widening eyes. He didn’t think Spot actually felt that way, where their future wasn’t such a terrifying idea after all. Spot’s hand squeezed his own and Race let out a breathy laugh as he and Spot pressed up as close together as they could. 

“We’ll let them stay over in turns,” Race nodded and Spot let out a small groan. 

“Naturally.”

Folding into Spot, Race hadn’t felt this good for some time. It wasn’t by any means easier, but to know he wasn’t alone, that with Spot, with the newsies, he’d always have the help he needed, meant more than words could express. 

Bellamy had brought even more brightness into Race’s life and he sighed with content as the night took away his doubts once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this kid is going to have some wild birthday parties let me tell u
> 
> [Tumblr](http://safarikalamari.tumblr.com)


End file.
